Carpet-stretcher.



M. A'. SMITH. CARPET STRETGHER. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 30,1903.

YH: Nonni: PETERS 60,. wAsH'NamN. D. c,

' carpet engaging means.

vide a carpet stretcher of this MILTON AUSTON SMITH, OF FORT HURON, MICHIGAN.

CARPE T-STRE TCI-IER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909.

Application filed April 30, 1908. Serial No. 430,107.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MILTON AUsToN SMITH, a citizen ofthe United States, residing -at Port Huron, in the county of St. Clair and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Carpet-Stretcher, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in carpet stretchers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of carpet stretchers, and to provide a simple and inexpensive carpet stretcher, adapted to be easily and quickly operated, and capable of successively f stretching a carpet in any direction and of holding the carpet at the end of each stretching operation and while it is being arranged for the next stretching operation.

A further object of the invention is to procharacter, adapted to be advanced as the carpet is stretched, and capable, after a carpet has been sufliciently stretched, of holding the same with the slack at the edge, whereby the carpet may be tacked with greater facility.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying o drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing 1-Figure 1 is a perspective view of a carpet stretcher, constructed in accordance with this invention and arranged for operation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, the front oor engaging member being reversed for firmly holding the device while a carpet is being tacked. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating the construction of the catch for locking the front floor engaging member at vthe front of the carpet stretcher. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view, illustrating the construction of the Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the foot of the lever, the rear iioor engaging device being in section.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a carpet stretching lever, rovided at its lower end with a foot 2, to W ich is secured a carpet engaging jaw 3, provided at its lower edge with teeth 4, arranged at intervals, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The jaw, which is arranged on the front face of the foot 2, is secured to the 'ame by bolts 5, piercing the jaw and the oot. posite sides of the lower end of e lever 1, and it is provided at its upper edge with forwardly projecting lugs 6, forming shoulders for engaging the upper edge of the jaw 3. The shoulders support or brace the jaw and relieve the bolts 5 of strain. The foot is provided at its lower edge with a central slot or opening 7, and it has bearing recesses 8, located at its inner or front face at op osite sides of the slot or opening to receive aterally extending pivots 9 of a rear floor engaging member 10. Theiioor engaging member 10 to which the foot 2 is hinged by the pivots 9, is provided with a forked rear or outer portion 11, having diverging sides, and provided with depending terminal prongs 12 adapted to be embedded in the floor for holding a carpet after one stretching operation and while the carpet stretcher is being arranged for again stretching the carpet. The sides of the forked portion 11 diverge rearwardly, and the prongs 12 are preferably formed by bending the terminals of the sides of the'fork downward. The carpet stretching lever is also connected with a front floor engaging member 13, consisting of a rod provided at its front end with a depending floor engaging prong 14, and having its rear end bifurcated to form a pair of ears 15, which are pivoted by a pin or bolt 16 to an ear or lug 17 of a collar or sleeve 18. The collar or sleeve 18 is arranged on the lever 1 and is mounted for rotary movement to enable the front door engaging member to be reversed and changed from its position in advance of the lever 1, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, to a position in rear of the lever, as illustrated in Fig.' 2 of the drawing. The stretching lever is round and forms a pivot on which the collar 18 is adapted to turn, and it is provided with a supporting shoulder 19, located below the collar. The recessed collar 18 is arranged between the lower shoulder 19, and an upper iixed collar 20, and is thereby held against upward or downward movement on the lever. The lower shoulder may, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, consist of a collar or band secured to the lever 1. The loose collar 18 is provided at its inner edge The foot extends laterall1 from opwith a recess 21, which is engaged by `a lug or tooth 22 of a slidable catch 23. The lug or tooth extends through the 'upper fixed collar 20 and is held against lateral or rotary movement along the lever l, whereby it is adapted to lock the front iioor engaging member 13.

in advance'of'th'e' 'lever l. rlhiswill'prevent the front floor engaging member from shift-- ing laterally.

T The slidable catch is composed oi `upper and -lcwerlarms' l2A and 25,-, spaced, apart and connected by a rontbody portion. YThe vlower arm 25 is engaged by a coiled spring 26,1disposed on the lever andinterpos'ed between the lower arm 25and a pin 27, piercwing the lever l and iorminganupper stopor bearing forthe coiled spring. The shdable `catch is provided-fat theiront with aprojecting lug or portion 28,'ta-pered'outwardly and-having its outer end beveled l at its lower tace. `/Vhen the front-member is swung upwardly itl engages the outer end of the lug 28 at' the lower face thereof and'lii'ts lthe lug and 4operates the catch to-carry the tooth 22- out of engagement' with the recess 21, and the tapering `andbeveling of the lug serves'to lautomatically swing the front member laterallyfor-carrying the ,said recess l2l -beyond and out of alinement with thev toothf22 and 1to assist in the reversal of the front member.

To stretch acarpet the point or prong of the front iioor engaging member is embedded in the iioor,fand the leverl is inclined vin the opposite direction from' that shown in Fig'. l to engage -thejaw 8 with the carpet, which is stretched by moving the leverwbaclrward 4to the position shown in Fig. l. rIhe rear iloor engaging member is then embedded 'in the iioor to hold the carpet while the upper portion of the lever l is being swung for-ward to advancethe front i'loor engaging member,

^ which is connected tothe lever l at a point backward to stretch the' carpet.

above the rear floor engaging member. Aiterthe front member '13 is rengaged with the ioor, the rear member 10 is disengaged from the floor and the lever 1- is againswung 'this movement'vof the'carpet stretcher advancesthe sameacross the iioor, and after a-carpet has been stretched-to theV desired extent, the front engaging'member is reversed and swung backward to a point in rear of the lever l and memberl pivotally connected withv and ex- Y- dtending .rearwardly from: the lever, anda Jfront floor engaging member pivotally connected with the lever and extended in advance'oi the same.

2.- A carpet stretcher comprising av stretch-Y ing lever provided at its lower end with carpet engaging means, a rear loor engaging member pivotally connected with 'and lex tendingrearwardly Jfrom the lever, and a front rloor engaging member pivotally Vconnected with the lever-and extended in advance of thel same,` said front-fmemberfbemg reversible toarrange' it iirrear ofthe lever'at the completion or"- the stretching operation.

3.v A' carpet stretcher comprising a stretchfing lever provided at its'lowerendk withcarpet engaging means, a` rear" iioor" engaging member pivotally connected withf'and' extending rearwardly from the/lever, a front loor engaging Imember 'pivotally f connected with theV leverand extendedcin advanceof the-same, said 'front -member being reversible to arrange it in rear oic the lever at the completion of the stretching: operatiomandmeans for detachably locking the front floor engaging member in advanceJ oi the-lever.

4. Acarpet stretcher including a-lever'provided at its lowerend with c'arpeteengaging means,V and front and reariioorengaging ymembers pivotally connected with thelever at different distances from the carpet-engaging means.

^ 5. ff A carpet stretcher including a lever-provided at its lower end with afoot havingan upper shoulder, a-toeth'ed carpet engaging jaw secured to the ioot'of the lever and fitted `against-the said shoulder, VandV front and -rear iioor engaging members pivotally connected with the lever.

6. A carpet stretcher'inclnding a lever yprovided at its lower end with `a vfoot having V-an opening and.l provided# at' oppositel sides thereof with bearing recessesJ area-roorengaging member extending through the-,opening of the Jfoot and havi-ngipivotsliitting: inthe said bearing recesses,` afjawfsecur'edtor the 4foot and retaining the'pivots in the recesses, and a front floor engaging member connected with the lever.

7.A -carpet stretcherincludinga1 lever, front f and rear members pivotally connected with the leven-thefront memberfbeingfreiver'sible toarrange it in'rear oi the'leverfand a catchlocated above the lirontm'ember -f-or locking the same Vin front of' the: leverfsaid catch being arranged to bexope-ratedpby-the front member to'release the" same.-

8. A v'carpet stretcher including a lever,

-front and rear members pivotally connected with the leverythefront member-'beingfreversible to arrange it inrear'of 4the'- lever, and a catch located abovethe front member for' locking thesame in front of the lever, said catch being arranged to be operated by the front Lmember` to release i fthe same and having meanswfor automatically swinging the front member laterally While it is being operated.

9. A carpet stretcher including a lever, a rear floor engaging member connected with the lever, a iront floor engaging member having a collar litted on the lever and capable of rotary movement to arrange the front floor engaging member either in advance or in rear of the lever, and a catch mounted on the lever and engaging the collar for locking the same against rotary movement, said catch being arranged to be operated by the front member to release the collar.

l0. A carpet stretcher including a lever, a collar mounted on the lever for rotary movement, a iioor engaging member pivotally connected to the collar, a catch slidable on the lever and engaging the collar and arranged to be operated by the front member for releasing the collar, and a spring for holding the catch in engagement with the collar.

11. A carpet stretcher including a lever, a collar mounted on the lever for rotary movement and provided with a recess, a floor engaging member pivotally connected to the collar, a catch provided with a tooth for engaging the recess of the collar and having spaced arms slidable on the lever, and a spring mounted on the lever between the arms of the catch for holding the tooth in engagement with the collar, said catch being located above and arranged to be operated by the floor engaging member.

l2. A carpet stretcher including a lever, upper and lower iXed collars, a loose collar arranged between the iived collars, a catch provided with arms spaced apart and slidable on the lever, said catch being provided with a tooth for engaging the loose collar and having a projecting portion, a spring for holding the tooth in engagement with the loose collar, and a floor engaging member connected with the latter and arranged to engage the projecting portion of the catch to operate the same for releasing the loose collar.

13. A carpet stretcher including a lever, a rear loor engaging member connected with the lever, a front iioor engaging member having a collar litted on the lever and capable of rotary movement to arrange the front floor engaging member either in advance or in rear of the lever, and a catch mounted on the lever for engaging the collar and having a tapered lug arranged to be engaged by the front member for releasing the collar and adapted to automatically swing the front member laterally to assist in the reversal of the same.

lll. A carpet stretcher including a lever, a cellar mounted on the lever for rotary movement and provided with a recess, a catch movably mounted on the lever and provided with a tooth for engaging the recess of the collar and having a tapered lug, and a :door engaging member pivoted to the collar and arranged to engage the tapered lug to operate the catch to release the collar, said floor engaging member being automatically swung laterally by the tapered lug While operating the catch, whereby the recess of the collar is carried out of alinement with the tooth of the catch.

ln testimony, that l claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MILTON AUSTON SMTH.

Witnesses:

JAMES C. FISHER, HENRY F. MARX. 

